Album-clasp



(No Model.)

L. B. PRAHAR.

ALBUM CLASP. No. 395,454.

WITNESSES:

Patented Jan. 1, 1889.

lA/I/E/VTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

v UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

LOUIS l3. PRAHAR, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

ALBUM=CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,454, dated January 1, 1889.

Application filed September 21, 1888. fierial No. 285,986. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS B. PRAHAR, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved AlbumOlasp, of which the followin is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a clasp for albums, books, and other articles, which will be simple of construction and convenient in use, and which will form an ornamental as well as a useful adjunct to the article to which it is applied.

The invention will be hereinafterdescribed in connection with the drawings and specifically pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate correspon ding parts in all. the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an album in part provided with my improved clasp. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line .70 :1: of Fig. 1. Fig. I; is a perspective. view of the pocket, one side being removed. Fig. l is a perspective view of the removable side of the pocket, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the adjustable plate.

The box, casing, or pocket A, forming one portion of the clasp, is hinged in the usual manner to the clamp B, adapted for attachment to one cover of an album, l book, or other like article. The pocket A is formed, as shown, with one removable side, a, on the inner side of which is attached the spring pawl in this case a piece of flat spring metal fastened in any approved way to the side and curving outwardly therefrom. A knob or button, 0, is attached to the free end of the pawl, and isadapted to extend through an aperture, b, of the other side, Z), of the pocket. the pocket is curved inwardly at b for about half the width of the space between the sides a. and b, forming a ledge or stop-sllouldenr, for a purpose hereinafter set forth, and leaving a narrow slit, b adjacent to the side a; but the pocket A maybe otherwise constructed. The plate D, forming the other portion of the clasp, is centrally offset at d to form a transverse shoulder and the flat portions d d The plate is provided at the end of the portion d with an aperture, (F, to receive the stud F on the other cover of the album or book,

The side I) at the outer free end of i and is provided in its portion d with the longitudinal slot (1, and on each side of said slot with ratchet-teeth G, inclining toward the shoulder (I, which ratchet-teeth may be produced in any approved way.

The plate I) is placed in the pocket:- A,withits portion (1' resting on the side 1) thereof and the teeth G uppermost. The side a is then put in place, with the button 0 extending through the aperture 1). The pawl C will then engage the teeth G of the plate D, the portion (Z of the plate extending out through the slit I)". ()n pushing the plate inward the pawl will slip over the ratchet-teeth, and by engaging the same will hold the plate from outward movement. By pressing on the button e the pawl is disengaged from the teeth and the plate can be withdrawn until the shoulder (I strikes the ledge b*, which prevents the entire withdrawal of the plate. In closing the album or book the plate can be fully extended to engage the stud F with the album partly closed. By pushing the plate into the pocket unl il the album is fully closed it will be held by the engagement of the pawl with one of the series of ratchet teeth G.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the details of construction as shown and describethas the same may be varied with in the scope of my inventionas, for instance, the plate D need not be offset, as the button c, by engaging the end of slot (1, will form a stop for the plate. The arrangement may be reversed, so that the button may project through the inner side, a, of the pocket; but the arrangement as shown is at present preferred.

llaving l-llllSlitfHCl'lbWl my inventhnl, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an album-clasp, the combination, with a pocket and a spring pawl held within the pocket and provided with a button extending outward through one wall of the pocket, of a plate adapted to slide within the pocket and. provided with ratchet-teeth engaging said pawl, and the stop for said plate, substantially as shown and described.

LOUIS B. PRAHAR.

\Vitnesses:

W. S. WALKER, O. SEDGWIGK. 

